The Second Love
by DemonicAngeling
Summary: Yuu x OC. Yanase Yuu can only watch as any chance of receiving Chiaki's love drifts farther away. Tamura Akio is a music student at Gendai, the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts, and though together with one he loves, knows that it's one-sided.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! This is DemonicAngeling here.  
>I'm somewhat new to this site, and this is technically my first time writing fanfiction and letting it see the light of day... especially shounen aiyaoi. Please review, it helps a lot for me to improve as a writer and just so I know what you guys think. If you all disapprove, then I will keep my FF to myself. Simple as that.

**Warning(s):** This is shounen ai/yaoi. If there are any problems people have with this, go find something else to read. Also, just so you all know, I like classical music, and there will be many references to classical music and composers (without spoiling plot too much) in this story. You don't like, bear with it. Still don't like, I will politely tell you now, go find something else to read. Rated M for language, as for lemons, oi, I said this was my first time writing shounen ai/yaoi, so no. Although, depending on how stuff goes and whether or not people like it, it may happen... it does occur in my plot notes, but not sure about how much I will touch on that.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or settings from Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi, they all belong to Nakamura Shungiku. Obviously.

**Beta:** Everyone give a round of applause to KeepGuessing :)

Oh, and in case you don't know already, this is Yuu x OC, short first chapter.

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><p>People really never learn. Yuu mused as he stared at the phone in his hand, wondering why he had even thought that inviting the mangaka to an onsen for the weekend was a good idea.<p>

"Yuu? I'm really sorry. I really wanted to go, but Tori…er…I had something come up in my schedule…?" Chiaki's voice rose at the end of his sentence, as if he believed less in his excuse than Yuu did.

Of course, knowing the guy since high school, Yuu could easily piece together the real reason. Upon finding out about the occasion, that unbelievable tyrant Hatori must have had a fit. For god's sake, it wasn't like Yuu was going to steal Chiaki away or anything… actually, that was his exact motive, but what else could you expect? Of course, to prevent that exact scenario from occurring, Yoshiyuki would keep Chiaki all to himself.

The selfish bastard.

"That's perfectly fine, I understand completely. I'll see you… around." He pasted a smile on, more for himself than anything else.

Chiaki laughed nervously. "Yeah. I'll see you around. Bye!"

Before Yuu could muster up the courage to say goodbye, there was a click and the line went dead. The monotone buzz mocked him, reminding him of how his relationship with Chiaki always played out. He would confess, and Chiaki could somehow misinterpret it, making Yuu's confession worth nothing. The innocence and childlike side to the mangaka was what attracted him so much to Yoshino Chiaki, but sometimes he wished he fell in love with someone just a tad bit brighter.

Yuu placed the phone back into its cradle and got up from the floor, his joints cracking as he pulled them out of their stiff positions. His feet instinctively headed towards his tiny kitchen where he pulled open the door of the refrigerator only to stare at the empty shelves, mocking him into further despair. The anticipation of having a whole weekend with his unrequited love had filled up the hollow and aching hole in both his love life and his schedule. But of course, Chiaki wasn't his, he was Hatori's. At the end of the day, it wouldn't be Yuu who the blue-eyed mangaka would cuddle up with on the couch—it would be "Tori." It wouldn't be Yuu's cooking which Chiaki would shower with praise…it would be "Tori's."

Damn. He slapped his forehead, closing his eyes in shame. He had made a promise to himself; a silent promise to Chiaki. He wouldn't give up, he would never give up. At the end of the day, he willed himself to be there for the mangaka. He was Chiaki's closest friend and they had much more in common than Hatori did with the man. Yanase Yuu had accepted his defeat that one time, but he hadn't surrendered his time, his feelings…his heart to Chiaki, for nothing.

Ha. He would keep telling himself that. How could anyone ever believe that someone can just stand by, smiling, and watch someone they valued more than anyone else… love another person? He had told Chiaki that he wouldn't give up…bah, that was more for himself than he wanted to admit.

Damn it. He needed to get out. He needed to get the hell out of this place, immerse himself in so much chaos and noise that he wouldn't be able to think, and get himself drunk past the point of caring.

Yuu leaned his forehead against the refrigerator door. It hurt, damn it. It hurt more than losing a limb. It hurt every time Chiaki chose the other man over him. It hurt every time Chiaki gave Hatori the sweet, adoring smile that would never be for him. It hurt every time Chiaki dismissed his confessions for jokes. Hell, it hurt every time he heard the guy's name.

"I'm pathetic. I really am." A single tear escaped Yuu's tightly shut eyes as the whisper flew from his slightly parted lips. He drew a ragged breath, pulling a clenched fist up to dash away the salty water on his cheek.

A single beep and a buzz in his back pocket thankfully fished him out of his thoughts. He gazed at the screen of his phone, not registering the number, and read the text.

_Call me if you're free this weekend. K.K._

"K.K.?" Actually, it didn't matter. As long as he could get away from himself, he wouldn't even mind if the person was a stranger. With a shrug, he called back.

Whoever it was answered on the third ring. "Yo. That was fast."

"…And you are…?"

A disbelieving snort reached his ears. "Thanks man. This is Kanta, if you didn't know."

Kanta? Who… oh yeah, him. They weren't all that close, but they hung out a few times in the past. The guy wasn't all that bad, dull as a doorknob, but he didn't have anything planned for the weekend, or at least, not anymore.

Yuu sighed into the receiver. "Well, what are we doing?"

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><p>What did you think? Please tell me by reviewing :) I will determine whether or not to keep writing depending on <strong>your<strong> opinions.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys. Here's chapter two. I'm kinda terrible with updating, I know. It hopefully will get better. This chapter is longer, and introduces OC Akio! It's unedited and rough though... so watch out for that. (sorry)

**Warnings:** This is shounen-ai/yaoi which there isn't a lot of this chapter, but there will be later. And also, this is classical music. Please do not read it if you are offended by either of the above.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Sekai ichi Hatsukoi. You're lucky that I don't.

Enjoy!

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><p>When he had the time, Yuu usually spent his Saturdays catching up on sleep, or fooling around with Chiaki. Sitting in a mostly empty auditorium with a bunch of strangers was not what he had pictured when Kanta had said, "concert" a few days ago. To his credit, the guy had pointed out that it was a classical music festival… but Yuu must have not registered what that had meant at the time.<p>

Kanta dropped into the seat next to him, passing over a can of coke. "Thanks for coming, man. To be honest, the only reason why I asked you was because no one else could make it, and I honestly don't like these things all that much… it helps when there's someone else there who you can talk to when stuff gets too boring." He reached down and picked up the program he had dropped on the ground earlier. "Oh look, Chizuru-chan's fifth to last. Looks like we'll have to wait a while."

Yuu grunted and went back to staring at the closed curtains. He didn't know Kanta all that well, and after talking to the guy for five minutes, he remembered why. The guy was slow and tactless while talking. Chiaki may have been similar, but on him it looked cute. On this guy… it was just annoying.

The lights dimmed and the surrounding chatter grew hushed. Kanta offered Yuu the program to look at which he took but didn't bother opening. Eventually, a woman's voice echoed throughout the large and mostly empty hall, reminding people to turn off cell phones, flash photography, blah blah blah… Yuu stifled a chuckle when the old man two rows in front of him began to snore. It didn't seem like anyone here was all that excited. Damn it. Yuu leaned back in his seat with his hands behind his head. Might as well get comfortable.

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><p>Yuu was bored to tears. The first few contestants were so pitiful he could cry, or more likely laugh. The first guy had been a trumpet player… a trumpet player who couldn't stay in tune. Then there was a violinist who broke a string in the middle of her performance; she ran off the stage in tears. After that came a pianist who forgot a section of her music and played the whole piece over again. Yuu lost track of everyone else after that. Kanta had said this was a classical music competition. It was more of a circus than anything else.<p>

"Number 41, Kabayashi Chizuru, age 21 will be playing Schubert's Ave Maria for violin." A polite applause followed this announcement.

Kanta elbowed him excitedly. "Oi, Yuu! It's my sister. She's really good and since there's no competition she'll probably get first place."

Disgruntled by the elbow to his ribs, Yuu grumbled and repositioned himself away from the offending guy. Kanta didn't notice though—he was too busy clapping and cheering which got him a bunch of annoyed looks, including one from the old man two rows in front.

A petite girl with the same straight, chestnut hair as her brother stepped into the spotlight. She smiled cheerfully at Kanta (who was very easy to find in the audience) and bowed to the handful of people there along with the three judges in front. Then with the confidence acquired only by experience and skill, she tucked the instrument under her chin and held the bow poised over its strings. Yuu raised his eyebrows and leaned forward in his chair. His observant gaze had detected the difference in her movements compared to the rest of the contestants, and he found himself believing what he had thought was only an overconfident brother's praise. Beside him, Kanta practically stood up in his seat in anticipation.

The hand descended, lightly pulling out a single note which hung in the air even as others joined it. It was a warm sound that filled the hall unlike any others before it. Chizuru's hands teased the sweet melody out of her instrument. She was in perfect control over her sound, yet the music was not at all strict; it held the audience captivated, each person holding their breath so not to miss the next note. Yuu smiled when he saw that the old geezer had stayed awake for this piece.

Chizuru's last note floated away over everyone's heads, and there was a momentary silence that was broken by Kanta's incredibly loud and enthusiastic clapping. Everyone else followed suit, and Yuu noted that for the first time, the man two rows in front was applauding.

Chizuru beamed and bowed twice before almost skipping off of the stage. Kanta sat back down and gave Yuu a large grin. "Wasn't that amazing? Isn't she good?" Before there was a chance for his friend to answer, he got up. "Well, she's got first place alright. No need to listen to anyone else—I'm off to the toilets and to take a quick look around. I'll be back after the next performance. You want anything to drink?"

Bemused, Yuu shook his head and watched the guy bounce off. Due to the emptiness of the hall, he could catch snippets of other conversations all commenting on Chizuru's performance. The couple next to the old man noted that whoever was to follow her was a very unlucky person.

"I wouldn't be so sure." It took Yuu a second before he realized it was the old guy who had spoken. The couple had turned to ask him why, but by then he had fallen asleep again.

As the judges spoke amongst themselves, Yuu opened the program. After Chizuru, there was some guy on the piano playing Chopin. From what he had seen, despite being rather rude and falling asleep during most of the performances, the old guy seemed to know quite a bit about classical music. This next guy probably would be good too. He smirked to himself. Kanta chose the wrong time to go to the bathroom.

A hush fell over the audience as the lights dimmed again. The white head two rows in front stirred and straightened. He probably knew the contestant, Yuu noted.

"Next up, Number 26 Tamura Akio age 23 will be playing Chopin's Etude Op. 10, No. 3 or Tristesse for piano."

A slight figure in a black tux walked onto the stage. There wasn't anything special about the way he moved. If anything, his aura was a far cry from the confidence and experience that Chizuru emitted. There was no sign that he would be different from any of the other performers they had heard earlier. Yuu leaned back in his seat.

Akio seated himself on the piano bench and raised his hands. It was that moment that caught Yuu's attention. His hands were slender with long, slightly pointed fingers. "Like Chiaki's hands" Yuu found himself noting. And as he thought of Chiaki, he noted that the other man's hair fell over his forehead in the same unruly fashion as Yuu's beloved mangaka's. A painful twinge tightened Yuu's chest. He couldn't see the other man's face, but as he looked harder and harder, the resemblance became clearer and clearer. The height, the build, the hands, the hair, even the way the man had walked on stage reminded him of Chiaki. Yuu's grip on the chair handles turned his knuckles white.

The hands descended onto the white and black keys. The song known as Tristesse or "Melancholy" was in every way melancholy. Chopin's piano compositions were known to be sad, and interpretations of it centered on this heart-wrenching emotion. But the second Akio's fingers pressed on the keys, there was none of that.

His playing was simple. He did not sway or contort his face into horribly exaggerated expressions of pain, he simply played. What flowed out of the sleek black Yamaha was not from the stage of the small hall in Tokyo. It was not the sound of music desperately practiced for a competition or music expressed with overwhelming feeling. It was the sound of loneliness that enveloped the audience, not an unrequited love or endless pain. Chizuru's music had captivated everyone with its warmth and grace. Akio's Tristesse chilled each person and pulled them out of their seats into his world. It was almost unbearable. One found themselves longing for some sort of emotion, some disturbance to release the tension those plainly placed notes held. The music swelled, growing large in volume and in complexity of notes, but instead of increasing excitement, it only increased the size of the gap that each person felt inside of them. Then Akio brought them slowly back down from the clouds. His grip loosened and he landed lightly, his last few notes echoing even as his hands lifted from the keys.

There was absolute silence. It's funny how silence can sound so different at different times. There is the classic awkward silence, the peaceful silence, the tense silence. After Chizuru's performance, there was the anticipating quiet lingering as if the audience was waiting for more. Here, it was the silence of a handful of people blinking their eyes as they realized they were back in Tokyo, Japan. There was slow clapping that gradually grew into a low roar as fifty or so audience members remembered where they were. Several even stood up. The old man didn't, but he clapped with more enthusiasm than ever before. Everyone there was clapping, and it was an awed rather than delighted murmur that rippled through the rows. Everyone was clapping. Everyone except Yuu.

Yuu sat there, unable to move. This was not Chiaki. This was himself, and that loneliness was none other than his own. He had come here in hopes of forgetting all that had happened to him, but now he was hurting even more so than before. It didn't actually hurt though. Akio's playing hadn't hurt him; it had only numbed Yuu with the chill and realization of just how lonely he was.

One thought made it through his still mind, one that stirred him and made him chuckle dryly. That thought was that he was probably the only person in the entire audience who understood the extent of that performer's emotions, and it amazed him that Akio had been able to move his fingers so skillfully over the keyboard as that numbness enveloped him. And Yuu chuckled at how lucky Kanta was that he hadn't heard this man play, for the poor guy wouldn't be able to understand why in the world it wasn't Chizuru who got first place.

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><p>How was it? <strong>Reviews<strong> please! This is kinda rough, sorry about that, but it's also not very satisfactory in my eyes. I have some comments for my own writing, but I need other opinions too. This is a far cry from some of the more amazing stories from my favorite authors :) Therefore, please do **review with criticism.**


	3. Chapter 3

I'm back, with chapter 3!

It's really short, sorry about that, but it's Akio and Yuu's first meeting! Tell me what you think!

**Warnings:** This is shounen-ai/yaoi which there isn't a lot of this chapter, but there will be later. And also, this is classical music. Please do not read it if you are offended by either of the above.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Sekai ichi Hatsukoi, sadly. I do own Akio though (YAY!)

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><p>Chapter 3:<p>

After the winners had been announced and the awards had been distributed, Yuu and Kanta headed backstage. As predicted, Kanta had thrust the flowers he had bought into his sisters free hand and began ranting, waving his hands all over the place.

"Chi-chan, I still can't believe you only got second place! Who was the guy who won anyways? Those judges must be crazy or deaf or something. You were amazing! Everyone in the whole auditorium could vouch for that." Here he spun towards Yuu. "Don't you agree, Yuu?"

Caught off guard, Yuu blinked blankly at the expectant brunette. "Erm…"

Chizuru giggled. "That's enough Kanta. You probably weren't there when Tamura-san played. When I saw his name on the contestant list, I knew that I would be lucky if I even placed. The guy's well known in the music circle in Tokyo. In fact, he goes to **Geidai*** and even has had solo concerts before. Too bad you didn't hear him play, Kanta. I was backstage with everyone else, and I swear, no one was even breathing. I'd be so happy if I could capture the audience the way he does. He's so amazing." Here she giggled again.

Kanta scuffed his feet on the stage and shoved his hands in his pocket. "Whatever. I still think you did great" he mumbled.

Yuu looked away from the sibling exchange, noting the leaving participants. After Chizuru-chan and Tamura-san, there had been some alright performances. There was a clarinet player who was quite good that placed third. Nothing spectacular. However, the average quality of the competition was pretty low, Chizuru and that Akio Tamura being outliers by quite a bit. It made him wonder why the two had participated here in the first place. Was it because there was less competition? For the first prize money? Even then, the money wasn't very much, and even though Tamura-san won, it wouldn't gain him anything much.

The judges appeared backstage, and upon seeing Chizuru-chan with her brother, they headed over to congratulate her.

"Kabayashi-kun! Congratulations! Your performance was very moving. The piece you chose too suits you so well." A heavy-set, middle-aged man with round glasses and a red face clapped her on the shoulder. "Too bad Tamura-kun chose to come back this year, ne?" He turned to the tall, thin elderly woman beside him.

Chizuru looked up in surprise. "Come back?"

The man nodded. "Believe it or not, the Tokyo Young Musicians Competition has a rather long and prestigious history. Unfortunately, the level of artistry has declined greatly as less and less young musicians take classical music seriously. Tamura-kun was just seven when he first performed. He placed all six years he participated, and won first place five years in a row. He's quite the legend, but unfortunately, a few years after he left, the sponsors of the competition withdrew their support and our management changed. Now the competition is open to everyone in order to appeal to more young musicians. Such a pity." He clucked his tongue and wiped his forehead with a lacy handkerchief.

The old lady cleared her throat. "We are very pleased to have Tamura-kun back on stage after his ten year absence. He has grown a lot as a musician, and his performance on stage is just as captivating as it had always been. Kabayashi-kun, we are honored also to have your participation this year, and we hope to hear more of your music in the future." With that, she guided the portly man towards the green rooms in the back. The third judge, a nervous-looking, younger man gave Chizuru-chan a quick "congratulations" before trotting after them.

"Who would have thought that Tamura-san had such a history here?" Chizuru smiled and began guiding her brother and Yuu towards the green rooms as well. "I was wondering why he chose to participate here with his level."

Yuu spoke up for the first time after when he had introduced himself. "Me too. Speaking of which, why did you choose to join Chizuru-chan?"

She smiled. "My violin teacher thought it would be a good experience. She had previously competed here during the better day and thus knows the environment. Unfortunately the whole place has changed quite a bit since she'd last been here."

It was obvious Chizuru had much more tact than her brother. However, both brother and sister were not bad people, Yuu noticed. Perhaps he didn't give the Kabayashi family enough credit.

Chizuru opened the door of the green room, but as she was about to step inside, a figure rushed out her, knocking her aside.

"Sorry." The young man gave a quick bow before continuing his race out of the auditorium. As he passed by, Yuu suddenly recognized who it was.

Though Tamura Akio had not raised his head during the whole encounter, the messy hair was a dead give away. But as he ran by Yuu, the bangs that had covered his face were blown upwards, revealing a pair of puffy, red-rimmed indigo eyes. Only after he disappeared out the back door did Yuu realize that the wetness that had splashed onto his cheek were tears. Tamura-san had been crying.

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><p><strong>*<strong> **Geidai** = the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts

It's short. I know. I'm sorry. But still, please **REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

Hey ya'll. Sorry for the delay. I've been... nah, I haven't been busy. Just lazy.

Been thinking about doing a oneshot for Junjou Romantica. The idea came to me and I got super excited. I haven't started yet though, which isn't a good sign. I'll go do that, and work on this one too ;)

Here's chapter four. Enjoy and Review!

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><p>Chapter 4:<p>

Yuu sighed as he dropped his keys on the kitchen counter. He and the Kabayashi siblings had gone out to dinner after the recital, and though Chizuru-chan had been good company and all, he found himself unable to keep up. It wasn't her fault—he just couldn't get the image of Tamura-san's tearstained face out of his head. Another sigh.

He turned around and slowly slid down to the floor, his sweatshirt riding up as it caught against the cabinet handles. Yuu ran a hand through his thick rust-colored hair—he had hoped to escape his gloomy thoughts about unrequited love…

Just as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the cabinet, a muffled beeping noise began and his pocked vibrated. Yuu grabbed the annoying chunk of plastic and hurled it at the opposite wall. If it was urgent, they could wait at least until he finished his pity party. As if to spite him, the phone, after keeping quiet for a few seconds, began its beeping and buzzing again from its place on the floor.

Groaning, Yuu slowly crawled over and checked the number. Chiaki. He set the phone down again. Normally, he would have jumped at the chance to hear his beloved idiot's happy chirping over the phone, but now was not the time. Definitely not the time.

The little red light stopped flashing, and the screen went dark. Dark, silent, dull, depressing… Goddammit even his fucking phone was mocking him. With a groan, he stuffed it back into his pocket, only to nearly give himself a paper cut on the stiff edges of the recital program. The world was out to get him.

Yanking the packet out, Yuu squinted at the tiny print in the dim light at the list of names and pieces. Tamura… Tamura… Ta-mu-ra… Tamura Akio. Bingo. A tingle ran down his spine as he recalled Tamura-san's performance. Chopin's "La Tristesse." He would have to look it up later.

As for now… he dragged himself up of the ground, what he needed was a drink and a good night's sleep.

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><p>And a good night's sleep it was. Yuu huffed in frustration as his blanket slipped off the side of the bed for the umpteenth time. He would close his eyes and start counting backwards from one hundred, but somewhere along the seventy-threes and fours, he started recalling indigo eyes—one pair sleepy and innocent, the other bright with tears.<p>

"ARGH!" Slamming his pillow over his face, Yuu shook his head furiously to chase away his wayward thoughts. He had counted backwards, counted forwards, counted in English, counted to seven in French (he had forgotten what came after "sept"), counted sheep, counted cows, hell… he even started counting bowls of rice, but he got hungry and still wasn't any closer to getting to sleep than he was before.

Fuck this. Yuu threw his pillow off to some remote corner of his room and sat before his laptop. It wasn't like he was doing anything more productive anyways. Within seconds, he brought up millions of hits for "La Tristesse Chopin," many of which were links to random artists he didn't know. What was he looking for anyways?

Clearing the search box, Yuu randomly typed "La Tristesse Chopin Tamura Akio." To his utter amazement, in less than half a second, results flooded the page—"Akio Tamura Steinway Young Artist Competition" and "The Chinese International Piano Competition Tamura Akio." As he clicked through each of the links, he noted that Tamura-san always placed in the top ten. Yuu was no judge of classical music, but these competitions looked pretty prestigious, and just listening to people's comments informed him that Tamura-san was of a different level entirely. Now even more than before, he wondered, "What the hell made the guy join the competition today?"

And as he continued to click away, he saw again and again the phrases "impeccable technique" and "elegant interpretation." This guy was big. Really big. Yet no one seemed to know of him in the audience… only that old man who slept through most of the program. A voice in the back of his mind quietly asked him whether or not this was slightly creepy and stalker-like. Yuu dismissed that thought with an impatient wave of his hand. Google made money for a reason, and if there were so many results for the guy, then there must be tons of others like himself.

It was somewhere between two and three in the morning that found Yuu asleep on the keyboard, the pale blue light of his laptop screen casting an unearthly cast onto his face, emphasizing the dark circles under his eyes. And it was the beginning of an unread paragraph that answered, at least indirectly, Yuu's question. "Tamura Akio, for certain personal reasons, has limited his performances to venues within Japan. He has chosen to pursue his musical education at TokyoUniversity of the Arts."

Then with a flicker, the screen dimmed, and everything was dark.

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><p>With a bang, Akio slammed the door shut behind him and leaned against it, catching his breath and composing himself. A few seconds later, he opened one eye and then the other, slowly registering that he was, finally, in his own home, his own space. Without even looking, he tossed a crumpled sheet of paper into the recycling and headed for the shower.<p>

He didn't make it. The shrill ring of the phone pierced through the silence of the apartment and pulled Akio to a stop. Damn it. Now that he heard it ring, he knew he would regret it for days if he didn't pick it up. With shaking hands, he slowly answered.

"… H-Hello?"

The warmth of the voice on the other end brought the young man to his knees. "Akio! How are you? I haven't heard from you in ages. You almost never call."

Akio grimaced. And there was a reason why. "Dai-er Yoshiura-san. I'm sorry, but you know that I've been busy with school."

"School. We both know that's not true. You've been playing onstage way before most of those people learned to read music. And how many times do I have to tell you? It's Daisuke. Yoshiura-san makes me sound like an old man, and we've been friends for years now."

Another grimace. "…S-sorry Daisuke-san."

There was a long pause. Akio desperately swallowed back his bitterness. This was why he couldn't call. Just hearing the man's voice brought back unwanted blame and memories of Akio's awkward pursuit of his best friend and roommate.

Daisuke's sigh could be heard from the other end. "Akio, I'm really sorry I couldn't make it today. I… something came up at work and I had to go to the office for the afternoon. How…how did it go? Did you place?"

Once he heard the flimsy excuse, Akio desperately grabbed at the remains of his self control as his patience crumbled. He drew in a ragged breath and quickly disguised it as a cough. "It went… alright."

"You placed first didn't you...? I knew you would. Well, I'm sorry I couldn't come. Maybe next time. Uh, when are you performing again?" Daisuke swallowed audibly after the last question. Akio knew by now that the question was for appearance's sake. The businessman would write it down somewhere obscure, stick it somewhere obscure and then blame his absence on the obscure location of the reminder. Akio also knew that answering was also for appearance's sake.

"Saturday the fifteenth at the concert hall near where… where we used to live." He fumbled around his pockets for a tissue.

"I'll see if I can make it. Listen, it's been great talking to you. I, uh, gotta go. Catch up soon alright? Maybe coffee sometime when we're both not too busy?" And here was the even flimsier excuse to end the obligatory phone call.

Akio nodded even though he knew Daisuke couldn't see him. "Yea sure."

"Alright then. Bye bye!" Click.

"…bye" he whispered to the beeping on the other end.

Half an hour later, Akio pulled himself off the ground and into the bathroom. He bent to wash his face in the sink, only to find that his cheeks were already wet.

Just one room away, a crumpled certificate marking lay amongst discarded receipts and sheet music.

Tokyo Young Musicians' Competition. Senior Division. First Place.

Tamura Akio.

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><p>Darn, this chapter looked way longer on Word. Sorry, I have a hard time writing longer chapters. I do have almost all of the chapters planned out (content wise) though, so there's some method to my madness... I hate that phrase, my middle school art teacher used it all the time and she was completely crazy.<p>

Anyways,

Please** review**! I tried to do some stuff here and paid extra attention to how I compared the two characters. Tell me if you noticed it!

Lots of love,

D. Angeling


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, it's been... a long while. I'm sorry.

I seem to be incapable of writing long chapters. I just get impatient... But don't worry, I've planned out the content of every chapter, so it should be okay.

This chapter has been heavily influenced by Kin iro no Chord... though it's been a long while since I've watched the series.

**Warning(s):** This is shounen ai/yaoi. If there are any problems people have with this, go find something else to read. Also, just so you all know, I like classical music, and there will be many references to classical music and composers (without spoiling plot too much) in this story. You don't like, bear with it. Still don't like, I will politely tell you now, go find something else to read. Rated M for language, as for lemons, oi, I said this was my first time writing shounen ai/yaoi, so no. Although, depending on how stuff goes and whether or not people like it, it may happen... it does occur in my plot notes, but not sure about how much I will touch on that.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or settings from Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi, they all belong to Nakamura Shungiku. Obviously.

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><p>Chapter 5:<p>

It was Yuu's first day out since, well, forever. Actually, only two weeks, but after that encounter with the Chiaki-look-a-like, he had been slightly paranoid that the world was out to get him. It had been the same routine—he'd get up after a few hours of sleep, drag himself to work, come back at midnight, and stay up until the wee hours of the morning for no particular reason. Finally the sensei he had been working with persuaded him to take the day off after he nearly removed his finger cutting toner. He had been completely at loss for what he would do with his day off, but being submerged in the crowds of Tokyo did something to a person. It was just as lonely, but the feeling drowned out certain unwanted voices in your head.

He walked past a young couple. The two were cute together—the girl was a delicate-looking thing, and as she gestured to her boyfriend, Yuu saw the suspicious glares she directed at the other women around, however the guy's adoring smile ensured the safety of her position. If only she realized it… Yuu turned his head and watched his reflection in the clothing store window frown. It disappeared as he turned the corner, and then returned two shades darker across the advertisement for women's cosmetics. He tried smiling, but the space of a smaller side street absorbed the attempt. There were less people here, and Yuu quickly ducked under an awning as he tried to make a decision; he could either continue drifting among the faceless people out window shopping on a Saturday or actually wake up and start actively distracting himself. Making a decision proved too difficult, and a rough elbow to the gut from a passerby knocked him into the side street.

Yuu picked himself up off the ground and slowly looked around. A mostly empty café waited by a bored highschooler stood between a hairdresser salon filled with old ladies and a tiny music store with a display crowded with instruments. Tear-filled indigo eyes flashed across his memory, and Yuu determinedly headed for the music store. As he reached the foot of the steps, the door swung open and a figure holding a large stack of sheet music tumbled down the stairs right into Yuu.

With oomph, he hit the ground, and for the second time in less than a minute, he was elbowed roughly in the gut as the owner of the sheet music landed heavily on top of him. Grunting, Yuu turned his head and blearily opened one eye—only to find himself staring into the very eyes that had haunted him since the day of the competition.

They weren't tearful this time, just wide with shock and confusion, but Yuu still found himself unable to look away. Chiaki… no, he reminded himself once more, this wasn't his mangaka, this was just a stranger that he kept bumping into. But even then, Yuu couldn't look away.

The honking of a car horn pulled Yuu and the owner of the indigo eyes back to reality. With a blink and a mumbled "sorry," the other guy hastily scrambled up and began gathering his scattered music, and after a few more seconds, Yuu joined him.

"Here, are you alright?" Yuu asked as politely and kindly as one could in such a situation.

Without turning his head, the other man nodded his head and took the offered sheets.

Rude, thought Yuu, and he was about to open his mouth and say so when the wind from a passing car blew the guy's hair away from his face. With a slight smirk, Yuu shut his mouth, for Tamura-san's cheeks were almost the same shade as a tomato. Cute. And without looking up, Tamura-san bowed quickly in Yuu's direction and practically ran off in the opposite direction.

"Be careful on your way back!" Yuu called after the retreating figure, still smiling. Really cute.

Bells tinkered sweetly as Yuu cautiously pushed open the door to the music store. The first thing he registered was that it was bigger than he had originally thought, for the crowded shelves he saw from the window obscured a larger room from view. Slowly, Yuu entered inside, gazing in wonder at all of the instruments hanging off of the walls. Violins meant for all sizes hung off a rack attached to the ceiling, and every sort of instrument you could think of was crammed into the surrounding shelves. Trumpets, clarinets, ukuleles... he even saw what looked like a kazoo. As he headed around the corner into the larger room, what he saw made him gasp. The ceiling here was much higher, and every wall was lined with shelves full of sheet music. But that wasn't what made caught his gaze. No, Yuu stared down the neat rows of upright pianos to a slightly raised platform with the largest grand piano he had ever seen in his life. It gleamed in the light filtering in from a small window, and Yuu found himself remembering Tamura-san's performance in Tokyo performance hall.

"She's a beauty isn't she?" An old man quietly spoke from beside Yuu. Startled, he turned to look and found himself staring at the same old man from the audience two weeks ago.

He continued without looking at Yuu. "She's a concert grand, a D, and the most glorious instrument ever to have graced these walls. Has the sweetest high notes, but what's really special is that lower register. So rich and colorful…" Here he sighed. "It's a pity that she's ended up here. There's almost no one who understands how that price tag can't cover even half of her worth."

He finally turned. "What business brings you here? Do you play?"

Yuu was caught off guard. Why was he here anyway? He knew next to nothing about classical music. In fact, until that day two weeks ago, he couldn't even think about it without feeling sleepy. When he saw the store from outside, he'd been curious. What he'd seen in that concert hall made him wonder about that other world Tamura-san had taken them all to. Though he doubted that some tiny, dusty music store could take him there, he wanted to enter that vast space Tamura-san's music had taken him to again.

"I don't play, but I was wondering where I could find a copy of "La Tristesse" to listen to?"

"Chopin?" Here the old man's white eyebrows went up. "Young people these days normally don't take the time to appreciate real music anymore. Did you have an artist in mind?"

Again Yuu didn't know what to say. This wasn't his world at all. His world was with the rush of deadlines and release dates. What was he doing here? "Ah… no, nevermind. Haha, sorry. I, uh, guess I should go…"

The old man smiled. "New to this? It's alright if you don't know. Classical music is overwhelming—it's got hundreds of years behind it after all. I've got someone in mind for you. Wait here." And with that he disappeared behind a shelf.

Yuu sighed to himself in relief. He didn't really want to admit it, but that old man's behavior during most of the contestant's performances had scared him.

"This one. There's more on this than just "La Tristesse, but we can listen to it if you'd like." He offered a CD to Yuu.

Yuu awkwardly laughed. "It's alright, I'll trust your judgment on this. Could you ring it up for me?"

As he waited by the cash register, Yuu noticed a poster up advertising some sort of charity performance. The fifteenth… Saturday… Tamura Akio. Tamura? He must have made some sort of noise then, for the old man laughed.

"That brat is really something. He's been a regular at the shop for years… ever since he was in high school. I'd let him play on the pianos in the back, though never on the grand. I used to tell him that he could only touch her when he was worthy of it… it used to make him so mad." He chuckled here. "But I'll tell you, he's getting closer and closer to it. Music is a lonely life. You have to be strong enough to bear that loneliness, and that brat is one of the toughest kids I know… and the most pigheaded" he added as an afterthought.

As if remembering Yuu, the old man gathered his composure. "If you can, you should go see him play."

Yuu smiled. "I think I will… thanks for your help."

"Nothing to it. Glad I could help. Make sure you come again sometime, you might just catch him practicing in the back... he was here earlier today."

Nodding, Yuu picked up his CD. The fifteenth was it?

Maybe he would go.

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><p>Thanks for reading :)<p>

Please review! Hopefully chapter six will come relatively soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys! As promised, here's the next chapter within a week!

Thanks for all of the reviews guys! I really love hearing from all of the readers, and reviews definitely played a huge part of motivating me to continue writing this FF.

Though this update was relatively fast (and longer) for me, the next two chapters will be filled with more action, so please be patient with those. I've also decided to add a few more characters as a spur of the moment type of thing, so I need to reorganize my plot notes as well.

Anyways, please please please review and enjoy!

**Warning(s):** This is shounen ai/yaoi. If there are any problems people have with this, go find something else to read. Also, just so you all know, I like classical music, and there will be many references to classical music and composers (without spoiling plot too much) in this story. You don't like, bear with it. Still don't like, I will politely tell you now, go find something else to read. Rated M for language, as for lemons, oi, I said this was my first time writing shounen ai/yaoi, so no. Although, depending on how stuff goes and whether or not people like it, it may happen... it does occur in my plot notes, but not sure about how much I will touch on that.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or settings from Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi, they all belong to Nakamura Shungiku. Obviously.

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><p>Chapter 6:<p>

"Beep. Beep. Beepbeep. Beepbeepbeep."

With a muffled growl, Yuu slammed his hand down on his unsuspecting cellphone. It landed sideways on the floor and flipped open, effectively silencing the shrill wake up call. (*AN: I feel sorry for Yuu's cellphone hahaha :P) Only Chiaki would think it amusing to go see a movie at an ungodly one in the afternoon. Though it was probably the only time Hatori would let him go, after all, Yuu probably wouldn't dare to do anything in broad daylight.

With a few more groans, Yuu finally sat up, his coppery hair sticking out at almost impossible angles and waving cheerfully in the breeze from the open window. With a huge yawn, he stretched his arms up towards the ceiling and sighed contentedly at the resulting popping of his joints. Well, a date with Chiaki was a date with Chiaki, even if it was before acceptable hours on a weekend.

He headed for the bathroom, making sure to pick up his phone from where it lay on the almost threadbare carpet. His apartment was old and small, but close to empty with only the essentials for a man in his late twenties. Yuu had always been neat; it was just how he was. Having even the smallest semblance of control over his surroundings gave him reassurance.

Yuu splashed cold water onto his face and stared at his reflection in the mirror. A pair of reddish-brown eyes with dark circles underneath stared back. They were boring eyes, serious and without much laughter, but could turn cold with sarcasm or blazing with anger. When he'd been in middle school, he remembered Chiaki commenting on his light-colored irises. The boy had called them special, and with that adorably naïve laugh of his, told Yuu that they were pretty when he smiled. However he could only take Chiaki's word for it, for he could never bring himself to genuinely smile when alone. In fact, before meeting Chiaki, he couldn't remember ever laughing and feeling so light-hearted. He had been a serious and rather lonely kid, being an only child, and his parents always left him in the care of an elderly neighbor as they traveled all over on business trips. The ball of sunshine and smiles that was Chiaki warmed the hollowness of his heart, and the arrogant redhead found himself willing to reach out to others for the first time. But that had all changed. Chiaki was a bright light bulb that would burn him if a moth like Yuu flew too close. Even though he was a kind and warm person at heart, Chiaki's complete unawareness of the extent of Yuu's feelings toward him hurt his friend time after time.

But Yuu still couldn't stay away. With a frustrated sight, he splashed a handful of water at the mirror, distorting his reflection, and headed out.

It had been Chiaki's idea to meet as a way of making up for the canceled trip. And desperate to keep his confused head from remembering another pair of indigo eyes, Yuu agreed. He pulled out a well-worn hoodie from the closet, but quickly exchanged it for the newer one he bought a few weeks ago. It didn't matter what Chiaki thought this was, for Yuu it was a date and so he would dress for a date. Wishful thinking… more like self-consolation.

Yuu grabbed a banana on his way out. He would eat something on the way there. Being alone was making him crazy.

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><p>Damn it. Chiaki was late. Yuu glared impatiently at his watch (*AN: I spared his poor phone this time haha) and the resulting scowl scared off several kids playing tag around the fountain. They had agreed to meet in the park by Chiaki's apartment at a quarter after noon. It was now a quarter till one. Where could that bumbling idiot have gone?<p>

He pulled out his phone and punched in the digits he knew by heart. Just as the dial tone sounded, a familiar figure ran in sight.

"Yuu! Yuu…" Chiaki slowed to a stop, gasping for breath.

"Can't you read a clock? Does a quarter after and a quarter till look similar in any way?" the redhead grumbled and stuffed his phone back into his pocket.

The shorter man straightened and gave his signature embarrassed smile. "Mah… I was going to be on time, but Tori…" Here he turned bright red. "Uh…"

"Nevermind. I don't wanna know. Let's go." Yuu turned around, gritting his teeth. Here he'd been early and anticipating this meeting while Chiaki was still busy playing honeymoon couple with his lover.

Chiaki caught up to his friend and began chattering. "It's been so long, Yuu! I'm sorry I couldn't go to the hot springs with you last time. I really wanted to, but Tori wouldn't let me. He said he didn't trust you around me. I told him that it was fine and you would never do anything. But then he got really mad and sulked until I told him I wouldn't go. Maybe he could have gone too. But he's been really busy lately. Apparently one of the mangakas he's in charge of is getting her manga turned into an anime! Isn't that cool Yuu?"

No it wasn't cool. Chiaki was finally meeting with him, but all the idiot was talking about was "Tori." Of course, Yuu couldn't say that. He tried changing the subject. "So what are we watching?"

"Tori said he really likes this one movie that's playing right now. I haven't seen it yet, so I thought we'd watch it together." Chiaki turned his face up to Yuu and gave him a dazzling smile. "It's gonna be fun!"

He pasted on a smile. "If you say so."

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><p>The wooden door clicked shut behind him as he entered the practice room. Akio quickly placed his bag on the chair by the door and dropped the large stack of sheet music onto the piano bench. He needed to send in the finalized concert order for the charity concert before the business week started. He'd been told that there was going to be a small ensemble available if he needed it. For that reason, he'd considered several different movements of piano concertos, but since the days when he'd performed exclusively, he hadn't collaborated with other musicians.<p>

His hand paused above Mozart's piano concerto No. 23. This one was alright, in fact the Adagio movement would be perfect. He set the music aside and sorted through the next few. He'd discovered the piece a few years back after things ended with Daisuke. Before then, he'd been wary of Mozart. The composer was a genius, that was for sure, but Akio found himself unable to produce the aristocratic, polished feel that he believed Mozart should possess. Yet this adagio was different. This adagio was "the true Mozart." It was a lonely, haunting sound that no other work of his possessed. It was the sound of the harsh reality that a genius lived in—misunderstood and placed on a pedestal by others. Akio found himself sympathizing with the composer from hundreds of years back. He was no genius, but his musical talent had separated him from other children, from his family, even from the one he loved. Yes, he had loved Daisuke; the man was one of his first friends and also his first love. Yoshiura Daisuke was a charming, handsome classmate of Akio's older sister. He didn't know anything about piano or music—he listened to that loud, crazy noise so admired by everyone else and attended cheap concerts held in bar basements of bands who couldn't stay in tune but had all the passion and energy to make up for it. Daisuke was of a completely different world. But now that Akio thought back on it, the high school student had taken pity on the introverted brother of his friend's girlfriend and befriended him. But for Akio, it was like meeting an angel; all the older guy needed was a pair of wings and a halo. So Akio made Daisuke wings. He had played for his muse, even tried learning some of the arrangements of popular songs Daisuke listened to, and his music began, for the first time, to take on a rose color.

Akio sat down before the old grand and placed his hands on the keys. He used to believe that music was the language that could cross all borders, and if he played enough for his muse, the man would one day realize his feelings. His slender fingers dropped down on the first notes of Chopin's "Raindrops" or his Prelude Opus 28 No. 15 (*AN: I'm playing this piece right now for my piano recital ). But Daisuke didn't understand. The man had girlfriend after girlfriend and "girl friend" after "girl friend." Then Daisuke had graduated the local college and left for business school in Tokyo. Akio's rose-colored dreams shattered, and he stopped performing all together. He enrolled in Geidai (Tokyo University of the Arts) and moved in with his first love, determined to reveal his true feelings one day.

He brought his hands down on the crescendo of chords, giving them a suppressed yet deeper, growing sound. It had been a disaster. Daisuke often came home late, though he never brought girls home as a token of respect for his younger roommate. When Akio had finally cracked, he ended up tearfully confessing during an argument. Daisuke had been so shocked by the confession he didn't return home for several days. Unable to stand the strained, awkward atmosphere any longer, Akio, heartbroken, moved out and "moved on." Daisuke gradually began talking to him again, but it could never be the same—he had ruined everything that had once been between them.

Chopin's prelude returned to its original melody, just as Akio was back where he had always been—longing for a love that could never be. Such dark thoughts… he chuckled grimly to himself and abruptly slammed his hands down on the final notes. He wasn't supposed to be reminiscing over past loves. He was supposed to be starting over. He would grow out of many shadows he'd always hid in. He would start over with music. The Tamura Akio people knew had been a fool in love, and his music had reflected that stupidly naïve heart of his. But Akio had seen the real world, and the real world had tainted him. He was determined to wipe out the existence of those rose-colored years and replace them with the man he would become. Geidai wasn't suited for him, he knew that, but Akio would make the best of this place before moving on. Tamura Akio would step out of the shadows of the other Tamura's and make a name for himself—he would prove to Daisuke, he would prove to others, but most importantly, he would prove to himself.

Of course, that would all come after the charity concert. Akio sighed and began flipping through the stacks of music again. It would be a long day.

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><p>Disastrous. Of course, what was he expecting? Yuu waved stiffly as Chiaki disappeared behind a set of double glass doors. They'd seen the movie, or rather, he'd seen the movie while Chiaki took a nap. He often wondered how Hatori and Chiaki could get along. The mangaka had lost interest in the politics behind the complex plot and characters and dozed off on Yuu's shoulder after about fifteen minutes. Yuu found the film intriguing, but too dense to stomach during one viewing, especially with one's unrequited breathing down one's neck. By the end, Yuu was grumpy and his arm was numb. Chiaki had been disappointed to have missed "Tori's favorite movie" and had ranted in Yuu's ear all the way to the restaurant. Luckily, a large serving of curry kept him happily occupied, but by then Yuu had a headache. If he heard one more "Tori" come from Chiaki's mouth, he swore he would have said or done something regrettable.<p>

Yuu was tired of unrequited love, but he had sworn, both to himself and to Chiaki that he wouldn't give up. He weaved his way through a faceless crowd at the subway station and just barely squeezed his way into the subway car. At the end of the day, looking past the noble, chivalrous, impenetrable façade he put on for himself, Yuu was tired.

Slowly the passing skyline from the window stopped, and the doors opened. He had to grab tightly at the railing to keep from being dragged along with the flow of people. Yuu held on tightly to the bag of leftovers from his dinner with Chiaki and closed his eyes, accepting the blows and jabs of passing shoulders and elbows. Perhaps this was what it felt like to be a fish swimming upstream—fighting so hard just to keep your place, never mind making progress.

Luckily only a few people came on, and the doors closed after an old lady with a walker and several bags of vegetables. She stood by the door digging through her purse when the subway car lurched forward, sending her flying toward Yuu. Instinctively he caught her and noted that she weighed almost nothing.

After she steadied herself against the railing, she turned her wrinkled face up towards Yuu and smiled. "Thank you for catching me, young man. It sets even an old heart like mine beating faster."

Yuu felt his ears burn at the comment. "Uh… no problem, ma'am. Are you alright?"

"I think so." Here she patted her skirts down and looked around. Several vegetables lay scattered around, as she had tripped over her bags as she fell. "Oh my."

Yuu bent down and helped her reclaim her lost groceries. "It might not be a good idea to take the subway at a time like this, ma'am. You need to take care."

She smiled again, her eyes disappearing under folds of skin. "Oh I know. It's just that tomorrow is my grandson's birthday, and since his parents won't be home, I figured I would make him all of his favorite foods to compensate. The only store that sells the ingredients though is thirty minutes from our home if I walk, which I can't do so well." She laughed and gestured to her walker.

Yuu politely asked about her grandson, and she happily began telling him stories of all "Shou-kun's" mischief and achievements.

A few minutes later, the tram pulled to a stop. "Well, this is my stop! Thank you for your help young man."

Yuu looked up and noted that he was getting off as well. "Since it's on my way, I'll see you out."

He picked up two of her grocery bags and walked carefully behind her as the elderly lady pushed her walker out of the subway car.

As they walked out, Yuu heard a call of "obaa-san!" and looked up. A young boy, no more than nine or ten, waved down at them from the top of the stairs. One could see that his knees were dirty, probably from playing, as he wore a pair of shorts that revealed his skinny legs and a button up jacket. The boy's cheek was smudged with dirt and a Band-Aid crookedly covered a long scratch.

The old lady smiled happily at her grandson before barking out in a harsh tone Yuu jumped at hearing, "TAKAMOTO SHOU. WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT WEARING SHORTS IN WINTER?"

He grinned sheepishly and shrugged, rushing over to help his grandma with her groceries. The old lady turned to Yuu and thanked him again, and the boy solemly looked him up and down. "Thanks for helping out my obaa-san, I've got it now."

Yuu nodded and stuffed his now empty hands in his pockets. The pair turned and walked away, the boy, Shou, ducking as his grandma halfheartedly cuffed the back of his head. Yuu found himself smiling, the events on the way back easing the frustration of his day. And as the silhouette of the grandmother and her grandson grew smaller, he too turned and headed back for his apartment.

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><p>Please review! Next chapter will be at the charity concert, promise there will be some action!<p>

3 D. Angeling


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